I live in Perth and would like your advice on what would be the best
sounding xylophones on what is available here:
1. musser - kelon, rosewood, padauk bars
2. adams - rosewood, padauk bars
3. de Gouden Brug - padauk, rosewood bars

Thank you
Jim Lie

Hi Jim..

Obviously its tricky to say without testing each instrument in person, but I would give you this advice.

The rosewood would always be my first choice for a xylophone. Padoak is quite good for marimbas - especially bass instruments - but it is not really hard enough to take the hard mallets used on xylophones. It is also a bit lighter, and the top bars can jump when played hard. Kelon is an extruded glass fibre and tends to actually sound glassy. It is very durable and is good for school instruments and marching xylophones where it is really going to get a beating. The notes can tend to be overly sustained though and sound much less "warm" than the timbers. I would avoid kelon for orchestral usage or similar simply because of the sound. As far as the brands are concerned - Musser and Adams are both very good - de Gouden Brug I don't know so I can't comment. I would tend to choose rosewood bars and choose brand based on what I thought of the frame construction and probably also on price.
Hope this is helpful
Jim McCarthy